From amazing sunrises to 130 million-year-old rainforests, Malaysia is the destination to visit if you’re a nature lover. If you’re planning a holiday to Malaysia, then add a diving trip to your itinerary! With spectacular diving sites of up to 40 metres of visibility, you’ll be in for an experience of a whole other world that lies beneath the calm blue surfaces. Here, we highlight several beautiful diving sites to visit in Malaysia, Truly Asia.
Diving in Borneo, Malaysia
Sipadan
When it comes to diving in Malaysia, Borneo is a given. The main reason why divers love to come to Borneo is for this little island located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, known as Sipidan. Sipidan was formed by living coral growing over an extinct volcano cone. Be dazzled by the sheer abundance of underwater oceanic life at Sipidan; with over 3,000 species of aquatic animals and corals. Travellers taking a dive trip at Sipidan will spot turtles, reef sharks and enormous schools of Bumphead Parrotfish among many others. Go for a dive at Sipidan to experience for yourself why it is no wonder Sipidan is constantly rated as one of the top dive sites by dive journals.
Layang Layang
If you visit Layang Layang at the right time of the year, you’ll get to experience seeing large schools of scalloped Hammerhead sharks milling around, which was the draw card for many divers visiting Layang Layang. That said, Layang Layang also has an impressive atoll of 13 linked coral reefs brimming with a rich biodiversity of marine life. One of the healthiest reefs in Malaysia, the visibility of waters at Layang Layang often exceeds 40 metres. The extraordinary visibility and amazing marine life though offer some heart-stopping diving experiences, but can prove to be rather misleading and dangerous to divers as you could be much deeper than you perceive.
Lankayan Island
Large schools of yellow tail Barracudas and large hump-head Parrotfish are just another part of an exciting encounter while diving at Lankayan Island. Should you be so lucky, you might just meet black tip reef sharks, large rays and manatees. Lankayan Island is also known for macro diving, as there are plenty of juvenile fishes, clown anemone fishes and even rare subjects like the jawfish or ornate ghost pipefish. The frontier diving destination in the Sulu Sea also features vast stretches of pristine hard corals and a variety of soft corals.
Diving Beyond Borneo, Malaysia
Perhentian Islands
The Perhentians Islands are made up of 2 islands, namely Pulau Perhentian Kecil and Pulau Perhentian Besar. Travellers heading to these islands may spot the sea turtles and a varied species of sharks that call the Perhentian Island waters their home. Visibility ranges from 10 to 20 metres and popular dive sites in the Perhentian Islands include the Pinnacle, which is essentially a pinnacle rising from the seabed and the Sugar Wreck which is a sunken 3500-ton sugar hauler. The Perhentian Islands remain a stunning destination for travellers to disconnect from the stress and routine of daily life.
Redang Islands
From shallow dives and beach dives to challenging dives, Redang is a diving destination suitable for divers of all skill levels. The Redang Islands eat into the South China Sea from Terranganu and are famed for their natural beauty. Redang boasts a variety of dive sites including gorgeous hard and soft coral gardens, shallow and deep sandy bottom sides and sites for muck diving, as well as the typical tropical marine life. What’s more, these dive sites are easily accessible and situated within close proximity of beach resorts. Relax with a cocktail in hand, at the white sandy beaches after a dive in the afternoon.